Adunni Ade Wins ₦30 Million Court Case Against Google Over False Dino Melaye Dating Story

Nollywood actress Adunni Ade has revealed that she won a lawsuit against Google after false online reports linked her romantically to former Kogi senator Dino Melaye.

The actress announced the court victory on Instagram, sharing part of the judgment with the caption, “Adunni Ade Vs Google. Not every war requires a response. Some require a courtroom. Unto the next.”

According to the court document, Justice I.O. Harrison of the Lagos High Court awarded Adunni Ade ₦30 million in general damages on July 9, 2025.

The court also ordered Google to remove the offending publications from Google.com and YouTube.

Adunni Ade had filed the lawsuit against Google and Meta on July 11, 2024, seeking ₦100 million in damages over articles she described as false and defamatory.

The case centered on reports that linked her name and photograph to claims of a romantic relationship with Dino Melaye.

She argued that the publications were false, misleading and violated her constitutional right to privacy, causing her emotional and psychological distress.

Although she later withdrew the case against Meta in April 2025 after the company filed a preliminary objection, the court ruled against Google.

According to the judgment, the violation went beyond publishing the stories, as Google’s platforms associated Adunni Ade’s name and image with defamatory content.

The court ordered Google to immediately remove the publications and delete the actress’s name and photographs from the disputed articles.

“It is common knowledge that when a basic right is violated, there is no need for additional proof. The Court will accordingly give the Applicant N30,000,000.00 (thirty million naira) in general damages,” the judgment stated.

The legal victory comes just months after Adunni Ade secured another court judgment, in which the Lagos High Court awarded her ₦20 million in damages over a separate privacy violation involving a Nigerian news outlet and one of its writers.